Optimistically Cautious: Lunch in Light: 4th & Vine

Echo and I stopped for lunch at 4th & Vine Wine Bar & Bistro (11358 104 Avenue) in Oliver Square on Friday, hoping for a quiet place to catch up.

I'd been to 4th & Vine a while back for their Sunday evening "dinner and a movie" event, and found it nice enough, but had always meant to go back. The narrow dining area, with its bank of high windows opposite the bar, was even more gorgeous with the sunlight streaming in on a warm, spring-like day. The restaurant was empty, save one table, so we chose to sit at one of the booths near the door - a table that I thought was perfect for a business meeting if one needed to spread out a bit.

The menu that we received looked slightly different than what appears on the website (I was disappointed with the lack of a gnocci entree), but both Echo and I were intrigued by the Roasted Turkey Breast Sandwich (poached pears, turkey breast and emmenthal on multigrain bread with cranberry dijon), served with either a soup or salad for just $10.

Our food took a little longer than I anticipated (especially given the nearly-empty restaurant), but our cheerful waitress and the venue tempered our wait somewhat. When our sandwich and soup combos arrived, I was surprised to see actual slices of turkey encased within; I had expected sliced deli-meats, so this hearty filling was a nice surprise. The meat was fairly moist, and the sweetness of the cranberry made our sandwich seem like a post-Thanksgiving treat. The pears were perfectly poached, but between the bread and the turkey, the subtle flavour of the fruit was lost. The cream of tomato soup rounded out the meal nicely, though the slightly sour aftertaste was something I couldn't get used to.

4th & Vine might be too far for those working in the downtown core, but is worth venturing out to if you're looking for a quietly elegant place to eat.